


Consequences

by Sadmuse (Aleigh75)



Series: Breaking the rules [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Dark, F/M, HP: EWE, I'm not kidding, Temporal Paradox, everyone dies, shouldn't have done that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-06 21:28:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4237296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aleigh75/pseuds/Sadmuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to "Broken." Ginny and Ron created a paradox when they went back in time to save Harry, Hermione, Draco and the others. They're not aware of it yet, but time is going to make sure they find out. Meddling with time comes with a horrible price. This is NOT a happy story. If you want happy, just stick with the ending of 'Broken.' I split what was originally one story into two just for people that want a happy ending (albeit with some obvious problems). You've been warned. I'm really not kidding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Three months after the Battle of Hogwarts, Ginny happily boarded the Hogwarts Express, her right hand tightly entwined with Draco's, while she pushed Ron along ahead of her with her left. Both boys had decided to return to the newly repaired school to retake their final year. Ron had missed his entire seventh year, and Draco had missed enough of it that he claimed he felt completely unprepared to take his NEWTS. 

Ginny suspected that he really just didn't want to be away from her for an entire year, not that she minded. Ron, however, had been forced to come by their parents and Hermione, who had convinced Harry to come back as well. As if Harry would let his girlfriend out of his sight for more than five seconds. 

The couple had spent the summer at the Burrow, and the Weasley family was getting more than a bit tired of walking in on the couple in various states of undress. Ginny privately thought that, being the brightest witch of her age, Hermione should have been expected to remember to cast a silencing spell now and then, but apparently that was too much to be hoped for. Ron and Ginny were both highly relieved that their friends had been made Head Boy and Girl. At least they'd have their own suite, far away from Gryffindor Tower, so the siblings wouldn't have to sleep with earplugs anymore.

"Come on, Ron. There aren't going to be any compartments left if you don't get a move on," Ginny grumbled as Ron continued to drag his feet.

"I think that's his plan, luv," Draco chuckled. "If there's no room on the train, he gets to stay home,"

"Ha ha!" Ron muttered, "It's all well and good for you two. You're not gonna be older than everyone else in your classes, and keep getting stared at all the time."

Draco raised an eyebrow, "I'm not? When did I get a year younger? I must've missed that. Harry and Hermione, too. Hell, she's almost a year older than the rest of us. And no one *ever* gawks at *anyone* but you..." As he said this, he pointed casually at a fifth year Hufflepuff who was blatantly staring at him. The other boy immediately blushed and ran away down the corridor. "People certainly don't hound Harry every time he can be convinced to step foot out of Hermione's bedroom..."

Ginny smothered a laugh. All the hostility had gone out of Draco's relationship with her brother, but he still never failed to point out if Ron was being stupid, which happened rather a lot. Despite this, the two had developed a rather easy friendship. He and Harry got along even better since learning they were actually second cousins through Harry's paternal grandmother, who had been a Black. it helped that Harry spent a lot of time visiting his godson Teddy. Since the baby, his parents and grandmother were all living with Draco, the two boys ran into each other frequently at both Malfoy Manor and at the Burrow. 

Draco had insisted on the entire Tonks/Lupin family moving in with him after he inherited the huge mansion. He'd invested a great deal of his inheritance in removing any and all traces of Voldemort's presence, so the mansion was now light and airy, with a homey, welcoming atmosphere in spite of its massive size.

"At least you've got Ginny, mate," Ron mumbled, "I'm just the third...er...fifth wheel," he corrected himself as a door suddenly slid open beside them and Harry emerged, looking happy and rumpled.

"There you are!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "We found a compartment." He gestured needlessly behind him, where Hermione was attempting to straighten her hair and skirt simultaneously. 

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Draco snickered, pulling Ginny inside. Sitting down, he immediately tugged her into his lap.

"Again, Harry?" Ron was saying quietly. "Seriously, you two just shagged before you left the house!"

Hermione turned beet red, but Harry just grinned shamelessly. "It's a long ride to Hogwarts," he replied, shrugging dismissively. 

"It's only six hours!" Ginny laughed. "And you'll have your own rooms when you get there!"

"You just wish you got here first," Harry teased. "Want us to leave you two alone?"

Ginny blushed and Draco rolled his eyes. "Not all of us are ruled by our hormones, mate." Draco rubbed Ginny's back gently as he spoke.

"They haven't even-" Ron began.

"No one's business, Ron!" Ginny cut him off with a glare. She already regretted sharing that particular bit of information with her loose-lipped sibling a few days earlier. She'd wondered aloud how Harry and Hermione found the courage to have sex when Molly was under the same roof. Andromeda was equally intimidating, and Draco had joked that he should have built his aunt her own wing so he could sneak Ginny over and they could finally be alone together for more than five minutes. 

"Seriously?" Hermione spoke up for the first time.

"The presence of parental-types actually causes *some* people to have trouble getting in the mood, Granger," Draco smirked teasingly.

"It's not likely to be any better at Hogwarts, with you two being in separate houses and all," Ron pointed out.

"Don't remind me," Ginny blurted irritably, making everyone chuckle.

"Three words, luv," Draco whispered, "Room of requirement,"

" Three more words...'It burned down'," Ginny whispered back, poking him lightly in the chest. "Remember?" As if he could ever forget. 

"Bloody hell..." Draco muttered, frowning slightly. 

"We'll figure out something," Ginny promised, kissing him lightly on the lips before snuggling closer to him with her head on his shoulder. She was growing increasingly frustrated by their constantly thwarted attempts to find time alone together. They'd only begun dating when she and Ron had saved his life during the last battle, but they'd developed a very strong connection in that time. She'd never believed in soul mates until they had finally put their differences aside and really talked to each other. It didn't hurt that she'd broken no less than six Ministry laws to go back in time to prevent his murder. Now, she couldn't imagine her life without him. They'd even spoken tentatively about marriage. After they finished school, of course.

Hermione nudged Harry in the ribs, and he shot her a questioning look. "You know we're not going to use both of our rooms, Harry," she murmured. 

Ginny felt Draco shift beneath her slightly as she lifted her head to look at her friends. "Are you saying..."

Hermione smiled softly and nodded. "Wouldn't want it to go to waste."

"You'll have to borrow my cloak," Harry added, pulling it out of his bag and tossing it to Draco with a grin.

Draco stared at the shimmering fabric, then turned to Ginny. "Are we there yet?" 

Ginny smiled and kissed him on the cheek, trying to act calm despite the fact that her heart was racing a mile a minute at the idea of spending entire nights alone with him without her parents or his aunt hovering over them. "Nine hours till the feast is over," she murmured, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

"Ugh," Harry muttered. "It's gonna be a long day..." he complained, pulling Hermione closer to him and nuzzling her neck.

"This is going to be a long year..." Ron moaned, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly while everyone else laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

When they entered the Great Hall for the Welcoming Feast, Ginny watched with narrowed eyes as Draco hesitantly approached the Slytherin table. A few of his old friends had also returned; Gregory Goyle, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott among them. However, when Draco drew close to where they were seated, they all turned away to speak with a group of students from Ginny's year. Draco stopped in his tracks and turned toward the Gryffindor table, seeking her out with sad eyes.

Suddenly, Harry surprised them both by standing up and yelling, "Hey, Dray! Get over here where you belong. You don't wanna eat with a bunch of snakes anyway!"

The entire Hall went silent completely. Draco smiled gratefully at Harry and quickly crossed the room to sit with his cousin and girlfriend. As he slid into the space between Ginny and Ron, he mumbled, "Thanks, Harry."

The Hall was still unusually quiet when Professor McGonagall, who was once again acting as Headmistress, stood and cleared her throat. "This seems like an appropriate time to announce that there are going to be some changes around here this year. Most importantly, our seventh and returning eighth year students will no longer be staying in their original house dorms..."

The room exploded in excited chatter, with a few disgruntled voices scattered in the mix. "Silence!" McGonagall shouted. "This is being done to eliminate exactly the attitude that we witnessed just moments ago. We all know that a huge division exists between Slytherin and the other houses, and even within Slytherin house itself. This is unacceptable!" Draco swallowed loudly and lowered his eyes to the empty plate in front of him as every student in the room turned to stare at him. "In the spirit of house unity, we're merging all of our older students into a new house...the name of which we will let you students vote on in the coming weeks. Our incoming first years are also eligible to be sorted into the new house, and any second through sixth year students who wish to move may request to be resorted over the next few days."

Everyone stopped talking, looking at each other with wide eyes as her announcement sank in. "After dinner, our Head Boy and Girl, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, will lead all of you older students, and any first years who are sorted as such, to the new house's entrance. Anyone else wishing to be resorted, please see me in my office before Friday afternoon," McGonagall requested. Clapping her hands loudly she called, "Mr Filch, please bring in the first years!"

While the extremely beaten (and slightly scorched) Sorting Hat launched into a long, rambling song about unity and tolerance, Ginny turned to Draco and kissed him on the cheek, knowing he must be feeling horribly uncomfortable after such a public shunning by his old housemates and McGonagall's equally public condemnation of it. Despite the fact that she had disapproved of his housemates' treatment of him, Ginny knew the attention the Headmistress had drawn to it only made him feel worse. "Are you okay?" she whispered, squeezing his hand beneath the table.

"I love you, but right now I wish I'd stayed home," he mumbled softly.

"Everyone up!" McGonagall exclaimed suddenly. 

"What now?" Ron grumbled as they all stood up.

"Back away from the tables!" McGonagall directed. As soon as they'd obeyed, the tables rearranged themselves, turning perpendicular to the length of the hall so there were now ten shorter tables crossing the room instead of four lengthwise. "Alright...Slytherin take the first two, fifth year and under only...Ravenclaw the next two, then Hufflepuff, Gryffindor next and all of you sixth years and up, sit here at the front please."

With a great deal of muttering amongst the older students, everyone moved to the appropriate tables. Ginny noticed that all of the former Slytherins (minus Draco) sat at one of the new house's tables while the Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors all squeezed in at the other. This didn't escape the professors' attention, but they said nothing as the first incoming student cautiously crept forward to be sorted.

"Um...whatchamacallit!" the Hat yelled after a minute.

"Excuse me?" McGonagall frowned. 

"The hat's lost it!" Neville called out, earning himself a frown...from the hat.

"New house!" The hat clarified. "See if I ever bring you a sword again, Longbottom," it added, prompting a chorus of laughter.

The sorting proceeded quickly, with a surprising majority of the new students being placed in the new house. There were no new Slytherins or Gryffindors, three Hufflepuffs and two Ravenclaws. McGonagall had to adjust the table assignments again, designating only one each to Slytherin and Gryffindor and four to the new house.

"How big is this new dorm?" Ron asked Harry, curiously, knowing he and Hermione had received instructions and information about the changes from McGonagall during the prefect meeting on the train. Despite having been prefects before, Ron, Ginny and Draco had declined the opportunity to serve this year. They'd unanimously agreed they'd rather relax as much as possible after the stress of the previous year. Harry had only accepted the position of Head Boy because it was Hermione's lifelong dream to be Head Girl. Ginny strongly suspected he just didn't want someone like Roger Davies or, Merlin forbid, Theodore Nott sharing a suite with his girlfriend. 

"It's as big as it needs to be," Harry shrugged slightly. "McGonagall says it just kind of appeared where the Room of Requirement used to be. However many people go in, that many bedrooms appear."

"So we all get our own rooms?" Ginny asked excitedly.

"I guess so," Harry grinned. "And the rooms for eighth years don't have the gender barrier," he added, wiggling his eyebrows successively. "We're all well over 17, after all."

Draco stared at him for a moment, then reached into his bag and pulled out the invisibility cloak, dropping it on Harry's plate. "Won't be needing that, I guess," he drawled, grinning at Ginny.

Harry snagged the cloak and shoved it into his bag just as the table filled to overflowing with the usual offering of food and beverages. Ginny noticed happily that there was now an assortment of muggle soft drinks and candy. She eagerly grabbed a cherry cola, which Hermione had introduced her to over the summer.

"So...there's also a new swimming pool downstairs," Hermione announced, casually handing Harry a bottle of orange soda to open for her. Ginny smiled to herself when he handed it back and kissed Hermione on the cheek without pausing in the conversation he was having about Quidditch with Ron and Dean. They were so cute together.

"Where?" asked Luna, who had sat beside Hermione when they'd merged tables.

"Behind the main stairs, where the old dungeons used to be," Hermione glanced briefly at Draco, who flinched ever so slightly. "They filled them all in and built the pool over them," Hermione continued softly. "They decided there was too much negative energy down there, and too much unused space."

"Great, I can swim laps with dear old dad's ghost..." Draco muttered, dropping his fork on his plate and standing up. "Excuse me. I need some air," he mumbled, heading for the doors.

"He's still having nightmares about what happened in that room," Ginny explained sadly. Over the summer, Draco had dreamed repeatedly and graphically about his own death, as well as his father's. Somehow, his subconscious remembered every detail of the death that Ginny and Ron had prevented. Harry had also admitted to having more than one dream about falling from a broomstick. Hermione refused to talk about anything that had happened in the hours following the final battle. Her vehement denial that anything was wrong pretty much confirmed for Ginny that she was having nightmares as well. The only one they'd saved who seemed not to be bothered by nightmares was Fred. Of course, no one could ask Snape, since he and Draco's mother Narcissa had run away together that same day.

Ron and Ginny didn't suffer from nightmares, but they both experienced frequent headaches and random waking visions of Fred and Harry, dead. Ginny was just glad she'd never actually seen Draco or Hermione's corpses, since she was pretty sure that was all that spared her from seeing them as well. She especially didn't think she could handle seeing Draco pop up dead at various times throughout the day. In addition to Fred and Harry, Ginny had also had several strange flashes of Tonks and Remus lying pale and motionless on the ground, surrounded by swirling smoke, which didn't make any sense to her, because they'd never died. 

Ginny was beginning to think the consequences of time travel were a little too harsh for everyone involved. 

"Hey...Goyle, Zabini, Nott and some other Slytherins just left," Ron murmured, elbowing Ginny gently in the ribs. "I think they were following Draco."

"Fuck that," Ginny growled and leapt to her feet, crossing the length of the hall in seconds. She was vaguely aware of footsteps behind her, but didn't bother to look as she stomped toward the front doors. Once she reached the dimly lit courtyard, she paused to listen. Moments later, she heard a muffled shout, followed by a flash of red light coming from around the corner to her left. Hearing Draco's voice cry out in pain, she pulled out her wand and took off running. Rounding the corner, she found Nott holding his wand over Draco, who was hunched over as much as possible with his upper arms being held back by Zabini and a younger boy she didn't know. Goyle and a few other Slytherins stood in a semi-circle around them, loudly egging them on. "Let him go!" She shouted angrily. 

"Who's gonna make us?" Nott smirked.

Just then, a rush of running footsteps sounded behind Ginny. "We are," Harry's voice replied coldly. Ginny glanced over her shoulder and found all of the returning members of Dumbledore's army spread out behind her, wands drawn.

"What do you care Potter?" Zabini drawled. "This is Slytherin business."

"Well, THIS isn't Slytherin house, and that's my cousin you're assaulting!" Harry growled. "Do you really want to cross all of us?"

Nott turned and frowned slightly when he realized most of his new house had their wands directed at him. Grunting, he gestured at Zabini and the other boy, who reluctantly dropped Draco on the ground. Ginny frowned worriedly when he didn't move right away, other than to curl up in a ball clutching his stomach. "What did you do to him?" She shouted, running to her boyfriend and dropping to her knees beside him.

"I'm okay," Draco grunted, pulling his hand away to reveal a three inch high smear of blood across his previously immaculate white shirt. "It's just a scratch." He pushed himself up onto his knees, then used Ginny's shoulder for support as he pulled himself to his feet. Turning to his former friends, he said, "I know you think my family is to blame for your parents being in jail; but the truth is, it's their own damn fault for following that madman in the first place. Believe me, I resent my own father for ever dragging my family into that mess in the first place! Can't you see that we're ALL so much better off now?"

"Maybe YOU are. You got to keep your home and money. Must've been nice to have your little blood traitor girlfriend and her daddy put in a good word for you," Nott snarled.

"Did it ever occur to you that it was Voldemort who betrayed us all? By turning everyone against each other. It's his fault the magical population in Great Britain is one third smaller than it was three years ago," Neville declared, standing proudly at his full height (and he seemed to have had yet another growth spurt over the summer, so he now towered over everyone but Ron). He calmly looked each Slytherin in the eye in turn as he continued to speak, "It's time to stop fighting and try to put all this blood purity nonsense in the past. Zabini, you're not even a pureblood yourself! Harry's the most powerful wizard here, and he's a half-blood, too. Hermione is a muggle-born and she could probably duel most of you one-handed and blindfolded. So get over yourselves or go home! There's no room for this kind of shit at Hogwarts!"

Nott, Zabini and the others stared at him, wide eyed, while the rest of the crowd, which had grown over the last few minutes, began to clap. Finally, Goyle turned to Draco and mumbled, "I'm sorry, man," and held out his hand.

Draco ignored his hand, but nodded slightly. "Let's just forget it, okay?"

"Done," Goyle agreed, smiling faintly. Jerking his head at the other Slytherins, he headed back to the castle. The gathered students (and a few professors who had joined the mix), parted before them. 

"Well said, Mr. Longbottom." Remus, who was newly reinstated as DADA professor, smiled approvingly, "Twenty points to...Whatchamacallit," he added with a wink.

Neville laughed and blushed as several people patted him on the back. Everyone began slowly making their way back inside to finish the feast. "Are you really okay?" Ginny asked Draco softly once they were alone except for Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna and Neville, who were all talking quietly a few feet away.

"Nope," he grunted through gritted teeth. Lifting his shirt, he revealed the word 'TRAITOR,' gouged into the skin of his upper abdomen.

"Oh my gods," Ginny gasped. "Guys, I'm gonna take Draco up to see Madam Pomfrey," she said, raising her voice slightly.

"She's still in the Great Hall," Luna said, "I'll go tell her you're on your way to the infirmary."

"Thanks, Luna," Draco said, his voice strained. 

Ginny took his hand and began walking toward the castle. As they entered the courtyard, she had another flash of Remus and Tonks lying dead on the ground. Glancing ahead at the professor's retreating form, she shuddered slightly. "You're still seeing him dead?" Draco asked softly.

"Yeah," Ginny admitted reluctantly. "I don't know what it means."

"Maybe it just means you've seen way too much death for someone your age." Draco shrugged, then winced. 

"We all have," Ginny murmured. "But Ron sees them too, and that scares me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Girl talk, and a confession from Luna.

"So, you still haven't..." Hermione trailed off, blushing, as she Ginny and Luna walked to the infirmary the next afternoon for their first class in introductory healing.  
  
"Someone who shags as often as you and Harry do ought to be able to _say_ it," Ginny laughed, "And...no. Neither one of us were exactly in the mood by the time Madam Pomfrey figured out how to remove the curse Nott put on those cuts. We didn't make it back to the dorms until well after ten. Now, we're stuck with the rooms farthest from the entrance. By the time we finally found them, we just crashed on his bed and passed out," she sighed frustratedly, "I know we've only been together for three months, but I swear if I have to wait much longer I'm going to explode!"  
  
Hermione chuckled sympathetically, but Luna scowled (quite possibly for the first time, ever), and muttered, "At least Draco knows you exist!"  
  
Hermione and Ginny exchanged questioning looks, then Hermione asked, "Who do you think isn't aware of your existence, Lu?"  
  
"Ron!" Luna wailed, flailing her arms about in despair.   
  
Ginny bit her lip hard to keep from laughing, and noticed Hermione doing the same. After taking a few deep breaths through her nose, she asked, "Do you _like_ Ron? As in _my brother_ Ron? You like _Ron Weasley_?"  
  
"I more than like him." Luna nodded, smiling dreamily. "I think he's perfect. Can't you just picture how attractive our children would be?"  
  
Ginny choked back a laugh, her eyes watering as she struggled not to let it out. Hermione cleared her throat delicately, then said, "You should tell him, Lu. Ask him out. Maybe leave off the bit about your children..."   
  
Ginny suddenly imagined a bevy of vacant-eyed, strawberry blonde children wearing radishes in their ears, and stuffing food in their mouths hand over fist. She nearly bit through her tongue trying not to giggle.  
  
"Do you think that would work?" Luna asked dubiously. "Both of your boyfriends asked you out first."  
  
"Harry didn't ask her anything, he just snogged her in front of half of Britain," Ginny laughed.  
  
"There was a bit of a follow-up question later on," Hermione mumbled, blushing again.   
  
"And then the three month shag-fest commenced," Luna giggled. Both she and Ginny sighed enviously as a dreamy smile crossed Hermione's face.  
  
"You all must be so sick of us," she murmured apologetically, "It's just, I don't know...I can't even think straight if he's not around.  And when he is around..."  
  
"You can't keep your hands off him?" Ginny snickered. Despite her teasing, she could definitely sympathize with her older friend. Even if they hadn't had a chance to do much more than snog, Draco's presence had become almost a necessity for her. She could function without him, of course...but she'd rather not.  
  
"Or keep your clothes _on_?" Luna chimed in.  
  
"We're not that bad!" Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yes, you are," Ginny and Luna replied in unison.  
  
"But it's kind of adorable," Ginny added.  
  
"And you both deserve to be happy," Luna said, smiling reassuringly as Hermione frowned thoughtfully.   
  
"And so do you," the brunette declared. "I think Operation...uh...'Get Ron for Luna,' needs to start immediately."  
  
"The first thing this operation needs is a better name," Ginny snorted. "And I'll just ask him what he thinks of you after Quidditch try outs this afternoon."   
  
"How are you supposed to merge all the most experienced players from four houses onto one team?" Luna asked curiously, demonstrating her remarkable ability to change subjects with little or no warning. "And doesn't this mean the other four teams won't have anyone older than fifth year?"   
  
"There won't be house teams anymore. Everyone is trying out and Madam Hooch is randomly assigning us to five mixed teams," Ginny explained.   
  
"Um, how did that news go over?" Luna asked, wincing.  
  
"About like that cursed bludger Harry's second year, I bet." Hermione snickered. "All the players must be furious."  
  
"Draco isn't." Ginny shrugged. "He says he'd never make Seeker over Harry. And, like Luna said, pitting a bunch of sixteen through eighteen or nineteen year-olds against a bunch of twelve through fifteen year-olds wouldn't be much fun for anyone."  
  
"Good point," Hermione agreed, just as they arrived at the infirmary.  
  
When they entered the large room, Ginny's eyes shifted straight to Draco, who was leaning against the temporary wooden frame surrounding one of several small windows in the plain wooden wall that currently stood in as a patch for a huge hole that had been blasted in the wall during the battle. The sight of the wall made her stomach lurch uncomfortably. The same thing had happened with several other temporary repairs she'd come across throughout the day. She hoped the permanent repairs would be finished soon.  
  
"Hey, Gorgeous," Draco murmured, wrapping his arms around her. "Why the frown?"  
  
Ginny jumped, startled. Although she was usually hyper-aware of his presence, she hadn't even noticed his approach. "Bad memories," she mumbled, nodding her head toward the wall.  
  
"Yeah," he sighed and nuzzled her neck, something he tended to do whenever he was upset. "I keep thinking I hear Mum saying my name," he whispered, his voice suddenly thick with emotion.  
  
"Oh, Draco," Ginny crooned, wrapping her arms around him and rubbing his back.  
  
It was a testament to everything they'd all been through in May that no one seemed to question, the sight of a fellow student in tears. A couple of people even smiled sympathetically at Draco, and Madam Pomfrey quietly offered him a calming draught before clearing her throat and beginning her lecture on spells that could be used to stop and counteract blood loss.   
  
Ginny noticed Harry pat Draco's opposite shoulder briefly while they watched Madam Pomfrey demonstrate the proper wand motions for 'Vulnera Sanentur,' and smiled to herself.  
  
***  
  
"I can't believe they made me a Captain!" Ron exclaimed giddily when Ginny and Draco followed him into his room after the Quidditch try outs later that afternoon.   
  
"Well, you're not that bad," Draco quipped. Ron chucked an elbow pad at his head, and he snagged it out of midair, almost effortlessly. "Why do people insist on trying to throw things at Seekers?" He asked, tossing it on the bed.  
  
"Because they're idiots?" Ginny grinned briefly, then frowned. "I can't believe none of us are on the same team!" She sighed disappointedly.  
  
"We might've been if you'd tried out as Chaser instead of Seeker," Draco pointed out, sticking out his tongue.  
  
"Um, ditto," Ginny retorted, hands on her hips. "Why should I have to play a different position?"  
  
"Don't fight, children," Ron said in a sing-song voice.   
  
"You are barely three months older than me..." Draco snorted, rolling his eyes.  
  
"But I _am_ older." Ron smirked and puffed up his chest.  
  
"Prat," Draco muttered.   
  
"Git." Ron grinned.   
  
"Weasel," Draco chuckled.   
  
"Ferret," Ron laughed.   
  
"You're just jealous that I have an animagus form and you don't," Draco bragged, puffing out his chest proudly.  
  
Ginny, who had been holding back her laughter, finally burst into helpless giggles. Everyone had been taken by surprise when Draco had been the only one in the class to successfully transform himself in Transfiguration that afternoon. Everyone had frozen, and many students held their breath until Professor McGonagall suddenly began to chortle helplessly. By the time Draco had reverted back to his normal self, even he was laughing.  
  
"So, Ron," Ginny murmured once she'd gotten herself under control. "What do you think of Luna?"  
  
"Lovegood?" Ron asked distractedly as he tried to shove his Quidditch gear into his already over-stuffed trunk.  
  
"No, the _other_ Luna," Ginny snorted. He frowned confusedly, and she smacked him lightly on the back of the head, shouting, "Yes, Luna Lovegood, idiot!"  
  
"Geez, you hit like a girl," Ron muttered, jokingly rubbing a different spot on his head. "What about her?"  
  
"Do you like her?" Ginny asked impatiently.   
  
"Like her?" Ron repeated.  
  
"For Merlin's sake," Draco muttered, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "The girl's mad about you. Anyone can tell! You really should ask her out, or your sister and Hermione might have to give you the cold shoulder for a month and a half out of some bizarre sense of solidarity, and that would just be annoying for everyone." Ginny stuck her tongue out at him, and he stared at her mouth for a long moment before grabbing her hand. "Anyway, you should think about that while we go hit the showers."  
  
"Luna likes me?" Ron asked dazedly, then blinked. "Hey, I don't need to know about you two 'hitting' anything. It's bad enough with Harry and 'Mione!"  
  
"Ask Luna out, and you can disgust us all right back with your own public displays of affection and over-sharing of information," Ginny suggested as Draco slowly pulled her toward the door. "Probably even break records on the latter...she _is_ Luna..."  
  
"I just might do that." Ron grinned. Grimacing as Draco teasingly kissed Ginny's neck, he muttered, "Ugh...get a room. Or at least get out of mine!"  
  
Ginny giggled happily as Draco scooped her up in his arms and slung her over his shoulder, exclaiming, "You heard the old man. Let's go!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to unfold...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know his chapter is super short. Then again, most parts of this story are shorter than my other stories. I guess my muse was making up for being more vicious than usual (in the end) by not going on and on as much. I don't really *like* this story, but ol Muse-y wouldn't shut up about it. lol

Ginny and Draco received a few amused looks and raised eyebrows as he carried her through the winding corridors of the new dorm to his room. Although the castle wouldn't let him into Ginny's room because she wasn't an eighth year, the castle had helpfully provided them with an adjoining bathroom, complete with a huge sunken bath big enough for two, and a large shower stall with multiple shower heads. Draco carried her through his room, straight to said bathroom, and set her down on the edge of the large marble counter.

They immediately attacked each other, tongues competing for entrance to the other's mouth. Draco finally won out, slowly wrapping his tongue around Ginny's and sucking lightly until she moaned loudly. "We seem to be alone, luv," he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers when they parted for a moment to breath.

"Finally..." Ginny nodded, ducking her head to nibble on his neck.

"Mmmm, gods," he moaned, tilting his head to the side to give her better access, "I want you so bad, Gin," he growled, grabbing her hips and moving to stand between her legs. 

"That's convenient," Ginny giggled, pulling him closer and caressing him through his skin tight Quidditch trousers. "I want you, too," she whispered huskily, giving him a gentle squeeze. 

Draco yelped and went completely rigid. It took Ginny a moment to realize that this was not a good thing; his erection was slowly softening in her hand. "Draco?" She pulled back to look at him, and found him staring at the mirror behind her, his face completely white. "Hon? What's wrong?!" Getting nervous when all he did was stare blankly at the mirror, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and terror, she grabbed his shoulders and shook him gently. There was no response. "Draco!" Panicking, she finally resorted to slapping him across the face, though she did hold back quite a bit.

"Mum?" His weak whisper was definitely not the response she was looking for.

"Draco, what the hell..." Ginny shook him again, and he finally blinked and focused his attention on her.

"M-my m-mum w-was there," he stammered, pointing at the mirror.

"You mean, like standing behind us?" Ginny looked around the room just to be sure.

"No, like she was standing right at the edge of the mirror...in the glass, even," Draco scratched his head confusedly, still looking rather dazed.

Ginny frowned, "But...she's not dead. She's with Snape, right?"

"We assumed..." Draco shrugged, looking a bit sick. "You know the saying...when we assume we make an ass-"

"...out of 'U' and 'Me'," Ginny finished for him. "But, Hon, there was no body. Not even a sign of a struggle, and we caught Dolohov. Unless he hid her in his pocket..."

"Hermione stuck Rita Skeeter in a jar once, luv. We're wizards. It's not impossible," Draco mumbled, chewing his lip thoughtfully. 

"Skeeter is an animagus. Is your Mum?" Ginny asked hesitantly. "And if he'd killed her, she'd revert back to her normal self. Her body would've shown up somewhere by now."

"Unless he's still got her trapped somewhere," Draco muttered grimly.

"True, but in that case she couldn't be here h-haunting you," Ginny pointed out, gently stroking his cheek.

Draco sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Stepping away from her, he said, "I'm sorry, Luv. I think I'm just gonna take a shower, and write to Kingsley. I think it's about time they hunt down my Godfather; one way or another I need to find out what really happened to my mum." 

No longer even remotely 'in the mood,' Ginny nodded understandingly. "I think I'll go down to the Hall and grab dinner. Do you want me to bring anything back for you?"

"If they have any apples..." he mumbled distractedly, staring into the mirror again. 

Ginny hugged him, affectionately messing up his hair before kissing him on the cheek. He didn't seem to notice when she left the bathroom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco isn't the only one having a hard time. And everyone remembers seeing dead people. Lupins to be exact.

  
The next morning at breakfast, Harry pulled Ginny and Ron aside after she and Draco had shared a slightly edited version of what had happened the previous evening. "What's up, Harry?" Ginny asked impatiently once he'd led them all the way down to the lake. Draco was jumpy as an over-caffeinated house elf that morning, and it didn't feel right, letting him out of her sight.  
  
"I just didn't wanna upset Draco more than he already is, and Hermione doesn't want to talk about it to anyone," Harry said, sighing heavily. Ginny noticed for the first time that he was developing some very dark circles under his eyes since they'd been back at school, and his shoulders were drooping almost as badly as they had back in his fifth year.  
  
"What is it, mate?" Ron asked curiously. He kept glancing up at the courtyard where Luna, Hermione and Draco were standing together, looking at the fountain. Well, more accurately, Draco was staring blankly in the general direction of the fountain; Hermione was alternating between looking at the fountain and casting worried looks at Draco; and Luna was currently looking at Ron, with occasional brief glances at the fountain, Hermione, and Draco.   
  
"You know how I told you I'd dreamed about...well...how you said I died?" Harry asked reluctantly, scratching the back of his neck.   
  
Ginny shivered, feeling like someone had just poured a tiny trickle of ice water down her spine. "Yeah?"  
  
"I've had that dream like three times since we came back to school," Harry muttered. "And I know Hermione's been having nightmares since we got back, too. She keeps rubbing her forehead and chest, and moaning in her sleep. Last night, she woke up screaming _twice_."  
  
Ron's eyebrows crept up into his hairline. "You've had that dream three times? We've only been back two nights, mate."  
  
"I know," Harry replied tightly. "There's more...when I woke up this morning, both my shoulders ached like crazy. Didn't you say..."  
  
"Quidditch try outs. You're probably just sore from Quidditch try outs," Ginny interrupted him, not wanting to hear what she knew he was about to say.   
  
"What?" Harry asked confusedly. She couldn't blame him, since he really hadn't done a single thing during the try outs to justify sore shoulders.  
  
Ron snorted, "Right...it's probably from all those midair pull ups he was doing to impress Hermione..." Ginny raised her eyebrows, wondering if her brother had finally lost it, and he snorted again, this time much more scornfully. "Harry's not bloody McLaggen, and you know as well as anyone that Quidditch doesn't make your shoulders ache. At least not Seekers..." he mumbled, gingerly rubbing his right shoulder.  
  
"What the hell is going on you guys?!" Harry exploded suddenly. Pacing back and forth, he began muttering about dreams, dementors, Dolohov and Narcissa. Ginny and Ron glanced at each other nervously as their friend got more and more wound up. "And what is up with Remus?!"  
  
"Huh?" As far as she knew, neither she or Ron had mentioned their weird visions of Remus and Tonks to anyone.  
  
"Didn't he...wasn't he dead?" Harry asked confusedly. "You never told me you saved him, too."  
  
"We didn't, mate," Ron shrugged, but he didn't really look all that sure, and Ginny felt another cold trickle down her spine. "Why do you say that?"  
  
"Every time I walk through the courtyard, I picture him and Tonks lying there," Harry grimaced. Clutching fistfuls of hair, he let out a low, frustrated scream. "Ever since we came back to Hogwarts I've started to feel like I'm going crazy!"  
  
"Maybe it's just being here...seeing where it all happened," Ginny began gently, trying to reassure him, even though she was beginning to have a horrible feeling about...everything.  
  
"I'm not having flashbacks to any of the traumatic shit that _actually_ happened, Ginny!" Harry snapped. "I'm not dreaming about fighting Voldemort...now _that_ would make sense. I remember _dying_ , and now I'm starting to _feel_ it too? What the hell..." he trailed off, looking just as terrified and miserable as he had when Ginny had witnessed his final memories of his death back in May. The ice water sensation upgraded from a trickle to a full on deluge, and she wrapped her arms  tightly around herself.   
  
"We'll figure it out, Harry," Ron's voice cracked the way it still did sometimes when he was scared or upset. Just then, the bell rang to signal that it was time to head to their first class, Potions.  
  
"C'mon, Harry," Ginny urged quietly. "Draco wrote to Kingsley about what happened last night. He'll help us figure this out. We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise."  
  
The three dragged themselves back up to the courtyard, where they joined the others. Ginny noticed that even Luna's eyes darted to the spot where she thought she'd seen the Lupins lying dead.   
  
Draco, Harry and Hermione were all subdued during Potions, despite the fact that it was one of their favorite classes, now that Slughorn had taken over. Even the rather bubbly professor couldn't shake them out of their funk. After the third time he caught Draco not paying attention, he reluctantly took 5 points from "Whatever" and assigned them all a two foot essay on the side-effects of Polyjuice.   
  
Upon hearing this, Harry slammed his book shut and stomped out the door, leaving all of his things scattered across the table he shared with Hermione.  
  
"Oh my," Slughorn murmured as Hermione gathered up her boyfriend's books and parchment, shoved them in his backpack and raced after him, forgetting her own belongings in the process. "Was it something I said?"  
  
Draco slowly let his head fall to the desk in front of him, the soft ' _thunk_ ' seeming to echo in the sudden silence of the classroom.   
  
***  
  
"Coming back to Hogwarts...such a great idea, Gin," Ron muttered as they made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts ten minutes later. "What the hell does she have in here?" he added, hefting Hermione's bag back onto his shoulder for the tenth time. "Hey...if Harry's been carrying her books for her, that would explain why his shoulders hurt," he joked weakly.  
  
"Har har har," Draco muttered irritably.   
  
"You're all acting like someone died," Luna commented casually as they walked into the DADA classroom.  
  
"They did, Lu," Ginny mumbled, frowning when she noticed Harry and Hermione weren't there.  
  
"Was it Professor Lupin?" Luna asked loudly. "It feels like he died..." she added in a slightly lower voice, which wasn't saying much.  
  
"You are the fourth person to make a similar comment this morning alone, Miss Lovegood." They all jumped (three of them guiltily) and spun around as the Professor in question spoke up behind them. "Is there something I should know?"  
  
Ginny caught Ron's eye and shook her head slightly. Kingsley would probably have a cow if they discussed everything with someone else before speaking with him. _Her_ family knew what had happened, but Draco had never told his aunt or cousin about what happened that day, and he certainly hadn't told Remus.  
  
"Um, no. Why?" Ron tried to act confused by the question and Remus immediately frowned suspiciously.  
  
"If there's anything you need to talk about, I'm always here for you, you know that, right?" He focused on Draco, who looked away guiltily. "Draco, your aunt would kill me if there was something going on and I didn't try to help..." Ginny flinched at his words, and he turned to gaze at her intently. She tried to meet his gaze, but quickly lowered her eyes to the floor after another fleeting vision of him pale and lifeless flickered in her head.  
  
Draco hesitated, then said. "Everything's fine, but if that changes, you are the first person we'll come to."  
  
"Alright," Remus said dubiously, looking around at them again. before heading for the front of the classroom.  
  
They all moved to their seats without further discussion. Ginny smiled when Ron deliberately sat on the other side of Luna rather than beside Draco like he had in several classes the day before. Harry and Hermione finally stumbled in just as the bell rang to indicate the start of class. For once, they didn't look like they'd just shagged in the nearest broom closet. Harry was frighteningly pale, and Hermione's eyes and cheeks were red as though she'd been crying. Ginny exchanged another long look with her brother as Remus began his lecture.  
  
***  
  
"This is bullshit!" Draco exclaimed when he and Ginny entered his room after a _very_ disorganized Quidditch practice that afternoon. Madam Hooch had come up with the bright idea to let the new teams scrimmage against each other; yet another attempt by faculty to improve inter-house relations. It had been a minor disaster. Everyone kept forgetting who was on their team, and eventually a fight broke out between a fifth year Ravenclaw and Theodore Nott over the quaffle. They were on the same team, but most of the Slytherins who were present, both former and current, had jumped on the Ravenclaw in Nott's defense. Hooch had ultimately ended the farce early, muttering disgustedly under her breath.   
  
"Do you mean what happened during Quidditch, or..." Ginny asked hesitantly.   
  
"I'm talking about Kingsley!" Draco snapped. He'd received an owl at lunch, but the Minister had responded that as far as the Ministry was concerned, nothing questionable or suspicious had happened after the battle except for Dolohov murdering Lucius Malfoy, attempting to murder Draco and Hermione, and plotting to have Harry falsely imprisoned. The time turner was "not involved." In response to Draco's concerns about his mother, he informed him that Narcissa had finally been added to the bottom of the Ministry's very long list of people who had gone missing during the war, along with Severus Snape. "He's just covering his own ass!" Draco yelled. "We should have known he'd blow us off...he even told you back then that the whole thing was off the record." Growling, he took off his gloves and threw them in the corner.  
  
Ginny grabbed his shoulders, and forced him to face her, "Draco, we'll find out what happen to her. You know Remus will help. Kingsley might be a member of the Order, but he doesn't control it. I think his reluctance to help is only in an official capacity, anyway. He said he can't officially order the Aurors to look for her...but he didn't say you couldn't ask Tonks to try to find her."  
  
"You're right," Draco sighed heavily. "At least we found out why everyone remembers seeing Tonks and Remus dead," he chuckled ruefully. "Why the hell would someone hit them with a sleep spell in the middle of a battle like that and then not finish them off?"  
  
"Maybe it was someone on our side? For their own protection?" Ginny suggested quietly. "The Death Eaters weren't likely to attack someone they thought was already dead."  
  
"I guess," Draco shrugged.  
  
"Come on, you need to relax," Ginny murmured, gently rubbing his shoulders.  
  
He closed his eyes for a moment, moaning softly and placing his hands on her hips. When he opened them, he gave her a sly smile. "So...speaking of relaxing, I've been meaning to talk to you about that shower we never got around to yesterday..." he murmured, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "You wanna try again?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm fully aware that the excuse that the Lupins were hit by a sleep spell doesn't make a bit of sense. It's not supposed to. Be patient. ;-)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Um...Ginny and Draco enjoy some happy time before the you know what hits the fan. lol

  
Ginny smirked and wrapped her arms around Draco's neck, kissing him lovingly. "Shower, huh?" She murmured when he pulled away to press a series of light, tickling kisses along her jaw to her ear.  
  
"I stink," he chuckled before nibbling her earlobe. "Otherwise I'd just throw you on the bed and..." he trailed off, moving back to her lips and kissing her deeply.   
  
Ginny thought he smelled pretty good, like oranges, chocolate and just a hint of lingering sweat from practice. "You smell fine, but I don't. I smell like a locker room," she mumbled against his lips when they separated long enough to suck in a quick breath.  
  
"Is that what that is?" Draco raised his head and sniffed the room, then bent and playfully sniffed her. "Shower it is then..." he grinned mischievously and scooped her up in his arms. He quickly carried her into the bathroom and set her down on the edge of the counter.   
  
Ginny glanced over her shoulder at the mirror, then back at Draco. Biting her lip, she said, "Maybe we oughta..."  
  
"Yeah," Draco frowned thoughtfully, then grabbed a towel from the cabinet under the sink and draped it over the mirror.   
  
"That was very muggle of you," Ginny giggled as he stepped back in front of her.   
  
"Funny," he muttered, rolling his eyes. Nudging her knees apart, he moved between her legs, and stopped her laughter with a heated kiss. His tongue flicked against her lips, and she parted them with a happy sigh, letting him slide it into her mouth as she wove her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer.   
  
They continued to kiss languorously for several minutes before their lips (and hands) mutually began to wander. Ginny slowly slid her hands down over Draco's chest, brushing one of his nipples through his tunic, and eliciting a loud moan from deep in his chest. Making note of his reaction, she slid her hand further down, gently cupping his arousal. "Mmmm...Gin," he moaned, taking her earlobe between his teeth while his hands kneaded her arse. She hadn't even noticed him moving them there.   
  
"Draco?" She whispered against his neck. He grunted incoherently. "It's been a while, but I think we're wearing too many clothes." To emphasize her point, she squeezed his cock more firmly through his trousers.  
  
"Fuck!" he groaned, throwing his head back and thrusting against her hand. "Far too many clothes," he agreed quickly, reaching for the hem of her practice tunic and pulling it upwards.   
  
Ginny raised her arms over her head to allow him to remove it completely, shivering slightly. His eyes turned almost black at the sight of her lacy blue bra, making her smile smugly. She'd picked it especially that morning, knowing blue was his favorite color. "You like?" She asked, batting her eyelashes with exaggerated innocence.  
  
"I love." He grinned wickedly, "but I'd love it more if it was on the floor..."   
  
"Ah ah ah!" Ginny shook her head when he reached around her, trying to find the clasp, "You need to catch up."  
  
Groaning impatiently, he practically tore his tunic in his hurry to remove it. As soon as it hit the floor, he reached for her bra again. This time, she let him remove it. "Perfect," he whispered, cupping her breasts in his hands.  
  
"Too small," Ginny shook her head slightly.   
  
"Perfect," he repeated firmly, ducking his head, and taking her right nipple between his lips.  
  
"Oh gods, Dracooooo," Ginny moaned loudly, burying her fingers in his hair.   
  
"Mmmmm, I love it when you say my name like that," he mumbled against her skin as he licked and kissed his way to her other breast. "You taste good," he commented with a grin before sucking her other nipple into his mouth. "I can't wait to see how you taste other places."  
  
"You're fucking killing me," Ginny groaned, kissing the top of his head before reluctantly pulling him away from her chest. "Still too many clothes..." she muttered, reaching for his belt.  
  
The next few minutes passed in a blur of buckles, buttons and zippers, and the next thing she knew, they were stumbling naked toward the shower stall. Their progress was impeded only slightly by the fact they were each trying to lick, kiss and suck every centimeter of the other's upper body. They finally reached their target, and Ginny fumbled for the water controls, unleashing a cascade of hot water down on their heads.  
  
"Too hot!" Draco gasped, jerking away from the spray.  
  
"Sorry!" Ginny exclaimed, quickly adjusting the temperature. The water cooled slightly, and she stepped back against the far wall, crooking a finger at him and smiling seductively. "Try it now."  
  
Draco reached a hand under the spray, then quickly stepped into the stall, pinning her against the tiled wall, and kissing her hungrily. Ginny smiled against his lips as she felt his erection pressing into her lower abdomen. "Is this gonna work? You're too tall..." she mumbled.  
  
"It'll work," he promised, bending to kiss her neck, then working his way across her collarbone, and down to her left breast. After briefly suckling her nipple, he ducked even further to kiss just above her navel. Ginny tensed in anticipation when he dropped to his knees and flicked his tongue into her belly button before kissing the top of her mound.  
  
"Draco..." Ginny sighed breathlessly, her heart racing as he eased his hands between her thighs and gently pushed them apart.  
  
"Easy..." he mumbled, caressing her hips, and kissing her inner thigh before pressing his lips directly over her clit.  
  
"Oh gods!" Ginny jerked involuntarily as jolts of electricity seemed to shoot up her spine.  
  
"Mmmmmm," Draco hummed, licking his way down to her opening and probing deeply with his tongue.   
  
"Fuck! Please..." Ginny whimpered, burying her fingers in his hair and gently pulling his head closer against her. "Please..."  
  
"Please what?" Draco asked teasingly, licking his way back up to her clit and sucking it lightly.   
  
"Oh! That!" Ginny yelped, her hips thrusting involuntarily against his mouth.   
  
"'Kay," he mumbled. She could tell he was smiling smugly, but she didn't care. She just surrendered to the sensations he was creating, moaning and writhing under his lips and tongue.  
  
Soon, she felt a familiar, warm, tingly pressure building up in her lower stomach and began moaning more loudly. "Draco!" she gasped as her hips began to undulate against him. "Oh god!"  
  
"Let go," he murmured, looking up at her as he swirled his tongue over her swollen flesh, "Come for me, luv," he ordered firmly before taking her clit between his teeth and flicking it with his tongue.  
  
Ginny threw her head back, screaming loudly as her climax ripped through her. She saw stars after her head banged painfully against the tiled wall, but her orgasm just went on and on, while Draco continued to suckle her gently. Finally, the stimulation became too much, and she pushed him away with a whimper before sliding down the wall, landing in a heap in front of him with her legs sprawled on either side of his. "Merlin..." she panted breathlessly.   
  
"No. Draco," he corrected teasingly, kissing her forehead. "Are you okay? You hit your head pretty hard..." he reached around and gently rubbed the back of her head. His fingers brushed over a sore spot, and they both winced. "You've got quite a bump there, Babe," he said worriedly.   
  
"It was worth it..." Ginny sighed, smiling dazedly.   
  
"Let me know when you're ready for more," he whispered, his voice coming out almost like a purr, as he nuzzled her neck.  
  
"I might need a minute," Ginny mumbled, whimpering softly at the thought of what was to come. She rested her forehead on his shoulder for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of the hot water raining down on them, and trying to catch her breath.   
  
Draco waited patiently, gently rubbing her shoulders and arms...until his hands gradually began to drift lower, brushing against the sides of her breasts. When he blatantly cupped them in his palms, rubbing his thumbs across her hardened nipples, she pressed closer, moaning softly. "Are you ready?" His breath tickled her ear, and she shivered with pleasure.   
  
"Yes," she smiled, playfully licking his neck before bending to suckle his collar bone. He groaned quietly, and tried to pull her back up so he could kiss her lips, but she batted his hands away, and licked her way to his right nipple, biting it gently. His whole body jerked violently, and she froze, asking, "Is that good?"  
  
"Oh gods, yes," he chuckled breathlessly, threading his fingers through her hair. She smiled when he didn't pull on it like her previous boyfriends had. Deciding to reward him for his consideration, she dragged her tongue across his chest to his left nipple and sucked hard while bringing her hand up to pinch the right one sharply. He gasped loudly, and surged forward against her hand and mouth. "Gin..."  
  
Smirking, she bit down on his left nipple while still pinching and twisting the right. This time, Draco shouted wordlessly and pushed gently against her upper arms. She suddenly found herself flat on her back on the shower floor. He mumbled under his breath, and the hard tiles softened beneath her just as the pressure of the water streaming down on her face suddenly decreased to a soft mist. "No fair," she whined, as he settled between her legs and rubbed his cock against her clit, making her wiggle beneath him involuntarily. He moved his hands to her hips, holding her firmly in place.  
  
"What's not fair?" He grinned mischievously, pressing himself against her entrance, but not allowing her to raise her hips enough to take him inside. "Figuring out my weakness, and torturing me with it? Was that fair?" He raised an eyebrow questioningly as he teasingly rotated his hips, rubbing the head of his shaft over her clit again, but then moving it back down to her opening without allowing her to increase the pressure enough to find any relief.  
  
"Please..." she whimpered, running her fingernails down his back and digging them into his backside, trying to pull him inside her.  
  
"Ah ah ah," he scolded mockingly. "Tell me what you want,"  
  
"I want a boyfriend who isn't a sadist," she complained, lifting her head and snapping playful at his nose.   
  
He jerked his head back, and the motion pushed the tip of his cock partially inside her for a moment, making her gasp. He quickly raised his hips before she could try to thrust against him. "Bad girl," he tsk'd, lightly brushing against her clit again, "Tell me what you want."  
  
Ginny scowled and began struggling to push him off her, but then she noticed the pleading look in his eyes, lingering behind the teasing. Going limp, she reached up, lovingly caressed his cheek, and whispered, "I just want _you_ , Draco. Please. I love you."  
  
He smiled softly and lowered his head to kiss her as he slowly eased himself inside her. They both moaned when she wrapped her legs high around his hips and he slid in to the hilt. "You feel so good..." he whispered, burying his face against her neck, "Perfect," he sighed, beginning to move inside her.  
  
"I love you," Ginny gasped, rolling her hips against him, moaning as his pelvic bone scraped against her clit, "Harder...Draco...please..."  
  
He smiled and jerked his hips more firmly against her, then slowly pulled most of the way before slamming back into her again, "Like that?" He asked, looking into her eyes as he kept up the slow but powerful rhythm.  
  
"Yes," Ginny panted, pulling him down to capture his lips, meeting him thrust for thrust. Ripples of pleasure began to flow through her, increasing with every movement of their hips. "Oh my god, I didn't know it could be this good," she laughed giddily when he pulled away to breath.  
  
"Tell me about it," he chuckled, rubbing his nose against hers as he began to move faster. "I'm afraid it's been a really long time, though. I'm not going to last much longer," he moaned softly and pressed his face against the side of her neck again.  
  
Ginny slid her legs higher along his sides, and he grabbed her hips, pulling her more firmly against him as his thrusts became more frantic. Ginny groaned deeply when he slid one hand over a few inches so he could press his thumb against her clit. The ripples quickly turned to waves, which suddenly broke over her. Her whole body tensed, clamping down on his shaft, and she shouted his name. The sound echoed off the bathroom walls several times, almost seeming to grow louder within the small, tiled enclosure.   
  
"Merlin, yes!" Draco gasped, pressing his sweat-drenched forehead to her own. "Ginny!" He froze, then his hips jerked erratically a few times before he went limp, rolling to one side of her and pulling her partially on top of him.   
  
Ginny snuggled up against him and closed her eyes, trying to catch her breath. A few minutes later, she realized the water was beginning to run cold. Lifting her head slightly, she smiled down at Draco, who was lying flat on his back with his eyes closed, his lips turned up in a relaxed, happy smile. "Babe, we're gonna freeze if we stay here," she murmured, nuzzling his cheek before kissing him lightly on the lips.  
  
"Five more minutes," he mumbled, his smile widening to a cheeky grin.  
  
"Come on, once we get in a nice warm bed, I promise we never have to move again," Ginny lied, pushing herself up to her hands and knees and grimacing when muscles she'd forgotten she even had loudly protested their recent activities. "Damn, how do Harry and Hermione do this all the time?" she muttered.   
  
Prying one eye open, Draco glanced at her and mumbled, "No mentioning ex-lovers right now. I'm basking..."  
  
"I never shagged Harry," Ginny snorted, "And you can bask more comfortably _in bed_." Getting her feet beneath her, she stood up on shaky legs, turning the water off before bending to offer him a hand. "Come on!"  
  
"I'm good...already came," he announced cheerfully. She growled impatiently, and he finally opened his eyes, grinning at her. Sitting up, he held his hand toward her, "Okay, if you insist that I move, you have to help me up."  
  
"You're such a pansy sometimes," Ginny snorted, grabbing his hand.  
  
"Kindly don't ever use that word in my presence again," he muttered, grimacing as he staggered to his feet.   
  
"Sorry," Ginny winced slightly.  
  
"Since you just turned my mind to jelly, I'll let it go this time," he said, bumping his hip against hers. Slinging his arm over her shoulders, he ducked down to kiss her cheek. They quickly toweled off before Draco urged her toward his bedroom. Yanking back the covers on his bed, he collapsed face first, hugging one of the pillows before rolling onto his side facing her. "Aren't you going to join me?" he asked, patting the pillow beside his. "You're the one who demanded we move to a bed," he reminded her teasingly.   
  
Ginny had frozen the moment he'd pulled back the covers. "How did that get there?" Her heart skipped a beat as she pointed at the time turner lying between the sheets on her side of the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's pretty much a downward spiral from here... :-/


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's kind of short. I was suffering minor writer's block back when I wrote this story, so a lot of the chapters ended up being shorter than I normally try for.

The next morning Ginny and Draco overslept slightly. They had both been more than a little unsettled by the unexpected appearance of the time turner...by the physical reminder of Draco's near death. It had taken hours for either of them to relax enough to fall asleep.

When they finally made it down to the Great Hall, only twenty minutes remained before the bell would ring for their first class. Plopping down next to Hermione, and gesturing for Ron and Harry to lean closer, Ginny held the Time Turner just above the edge of the table, making sure no one else was looking.

"How did you get this?!" Hermione gasped, frowning slightly when Ginny handed it to her.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Ginny muttered. "It was in Draco's bed last night. Under the covers."

Her friends and brother all stared at her,dumbstruck. Finally Ron mumbled, "That's not creepy or anything..."

"That's the understatement of the century," Draco muttered, piling his plate with scrambled eggs and bacon.

"It couldn't have been there!" Hermione shook her head vehemently. "I keep it locked up in a wooden box in my trunk. It's too dangerous to risk anyone getting their hands on it," she declared, scowling slightly. "The only reason Kingsley allowed me to keep it in the first place is because I plan to work for the Department of Mysteries after graduation. I'm more familiar with its proper use than just about anyone."

Ginny narrowed her eyes, annoyed with the older girl's 'holier-than-thou' tone. "You sure about that? I'm pretty sure I figured it out just fine. You wouldn't even be here..."

"Ginny!" Ron's sharp tone drew her attention to the fact that half the table was now staring at them.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Hermione murmured after everyone but Harry, Ron, and Draco had returned their focus to their own breakfasts. "I just meant it's not a toy, and since I've had it for five years already, he decided to just let me hang onto it. Officially, it doesn't even exist..."

"So how'd it wind up in my room?" Draco asked quietly. "In my bed? Talk about killing the mood..." he muttered, smiling half teasingly, half sympathetically at Ginny. "Totally ruined my after-glow."

Ginny blushed as Hermione, Harry and Ron all raised their eyebrows. Harry smirked playfully at his cousin, but Ron looked a tiny bit upset. "Oh, shut up. We're both adults, and you knew it was coming," she muttered before jokingly sticking out her tongue at Draco. "Please don't go around discussing our sex life in public."

"You have a sex life?" Luna asked cheerfully, plopping down next to Ron, who started choking on a piece of toast. Whether this was because of her words or her sudden appearance, Ginny wasn't sure.

"Anapneo!" Luna chirped, flicking her wand casually at him.

The bit of toast flew from Ron's mouth with an audible pop, landing on his plate as he gulped down huge mouthfuls of air. "Thanks, luv," he rasped after a moment, smiling gratefully at her between coughs.

"Luv?" Harry repeated, grinning widely.

"Shut up," Ron muttered, his ears turning a bit red before he reached over and squeezed Luna's hand.

"You're dating?" Hermione squealed excitedly, clapping her hands and bouncing in her seat when Luna nodded happily.

"Thanks to Ginny..." Luna murmured softly. "I never would have gotten up the courage to tell him how I felt. Ravenclaw, not a Gryffindor, remember?"

"I might have figured it out," Ron shrugged, blushing even more. "Eventually..."

Ginny smiled amusedly before glancing at her boyfriend. He had gone extremely pale beneath the light tan he'd acquired that summer, and was staring blankly at his plate. "Hey, are you alright?"

"There's a spell for that?" Draco whispered. Ginny frowned confusedly, and he immediately clarified, "There's a spell to save someone who's choking?" Ginny winced, remembering exactly how Lucius had been murdered...he'd choked to death on his own severed tongue. She knew her boyfriend was conflicted over his father's death, sometimes insisting that he was glad he was gone, and other times admitting he wished that she and Ron had gotten there a minute or two sooner. The greatest consolation he had, if you could call it that, was that he'd been tied up, and unable to do anything to prevent his father's death. But he had managed to cast one spell wandlessly before he was subdued. To find out now that a spell existed that could have stopped his father from choking...she knew he must be kicking himself.

"You didn't know the spell, Draco," Ginny murmured gently, "It's not your fault...you didn't know."

She reached for his hand, but he stood up abruptly, dropping his fork and napkin on his plate. "Excuse me...I'm really not hungry. I'm gonna go get some air."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Ginny asked worriedly.

"No." He smiled weakly. "I'm alright. I just need a few minutes. I'll see you in class, luv," he raised his hand in a half wave at the others before slowly walking away.

"He's still a terrible liar," Harry mumbled, shaking his head slightly and rolling his eyes before going back to his breakfast.

Ginny stared blankly at her own plate, her appetite gone, too, despite how ravenous she'd been when she woke up that morning. She'd known it was going to be difficult for everyone, returning to the site of so much violence and death. Draco seemed to be suffering more than most, and she was increasingly worried by his obvious depression. She hoped he wasn't going to start beating himself up over Lucius again. He'd only just been starting to come to terms with it near the end of the summer.

"Hey, Gin...it's time to head to class," Hermione's voice roused her from her thoughts. Yawning, Ginny wrapped two muffins in a napkin, one for herself and one for Draco, and wearily followed her friends to Transfiguration.

She had a feeling it was going to be a very long day.


	8. Chapter 8

The next few days passed relatively quietly. Early Thursday evening, Gregory Goyle shocked their group by asking if he could join them as they sat around the common room, studying. Everyone had looked to Draco, and he'd told his former bodyguard to have a seat.   
  
Goyle had asked Neville for help with his Herbology homework, and the most unlikely friendship in the history of Hogwarts was soon born. By the end of the night, the two were bent over a book about the magical properties of venomous tentacula, laughing and chatting about a wide variety of topics...even Quidditch. It was more than a bit surreal.   
  
Ginny had succumbed to a skull splitting headache (presumably unrelated to this sudden social development), and had gone to bed early. Hermione informed her, quite seriously, that orgasms were supposed to help relieve headache pain, but despite an impressive effort on Draco's part, it seemed that nothing was going to put a dent in _this_ pain.  
  
Friday morning, she woke up after only an hour or so of sleep to find Draco frowning worriedly at her. "Any better?" he asked softly.   
  
Ginny winced. His voice had sliced through her head despite his considerately low volume. "No," she whimpered pathetically.   
  
"That's it...I'm taking you to the infirmary..." he growled quietly.   
  
"I don't wanna go," Ginny whined childishly, rolling over and covering her head with a pillow.  
  
"Are you going to class then?" he asked, his voice laced with irritation and concern.  
  
"No," Ginny sighed, bracing herself for his inevitable reaction.   
  
Sure enough..."Then you're coming with me to see Madam Pomfrey."  
  
"Noooo," Ginny protested.   
  
To her surprise, he said nothing, simply turning away and walking out the door. His confusing behaviour was explained when he returned a few minutes later with Ron in tow.  
  
"Alright, Ginerva," her older brother said firmly. "You don't have to get dressed. Just put your school robes on over your pjs...but you're coming to the infirmary or I'm owling mum."  
  
"Sod off, Ron," Ginny clung weakly to the blankets as the two boys pulled them away from her.   
  
"Do you really want to deal with a Molly Weasley, special 'Mamabear Edition' howler right now, luv?" Draco asked, gently pulling her upright.   
  
That did it. She grudgingly let them slide her arms into the sleeves of her robes, and put her loafers on her feet.  
  
"Can you walk?" Ron asked anxiously when she swayed upon standing.   
  
Draco didn't wait for a response, scooping her up in his arms, and carrying her quickly through the crowded hallways. Several people shot him dirty and/or suspicious looks, but Ron stared them all down, and they arrived at the infirmary without any trouble.   
  
Madam Pomfrey rushed from her office when she heard the door swing shut behind them. The sound felt like the Hogwarts Express was running over Ginny's skull, and she cried out weakly, clutching her head. Draco gently deposited her on the nearest bed.  
  
"What's wrong?" Madam Pomfrey asked quietly, bending over her and pressing a cool hand to her forehead.   
  
"She's been getting these awful headaches all summer," Rom explained, his voice softer than Ginny would have thought him capable of.  
  
"She's had this one since after supper last night," Draco added. "She was tossing and turning all night."  
  
There was a brief pause after this revelation, and Ginny could just imagine the expression on the healer's face. "I see. Well, let me run a few tests and see if I can determine what's causing it. Then I'll do what I can to make her more comfortable."  
  
Too tired to object, Ginny just laid still and let the nurse wave her wand back and forth around her head. When she was done, the three of them moved a short distance away, speaking in hushed tones. "Have these headaches been this severe all summer? Why didn't your parents take her to a healer sooner?" Madam Pomfrey murmured, her tone somewhat disapproving.   
  
"They weren't so bad at first," Ron replied defensively. "I've had them too, but they didn't get really bad until we got back to school."  
  
Ginny suddenly remembered that her brother had missed his morning classes the day before, and added guilt to her current miseries. She'd never even asked him why.  
  
"You've had them too?" Madam Pomfrey asked sharply. "Has anyone else in your family experienced them, Mister Weasley?"  
  
"No, just Gin and I," Ron murmured.   
  
"Well, I can't find any obvious causes. It might be something environmental at your home, but that doesn't explain why they would worsen now that you're back at Hogwarts." Madam Pomfrey mused aloud. "I'm going to give her a strong pain potion, so she can get some rest, and keep her here until the headache goes away. If you get another headache like this, please come see me immediately, Mister Weasley."  
  
"Is she going to be alright?" Draco asked anxiously.   
  
"I think she's going to be fine. Like I said, I can't find any obvious cause," Madam Pomfrey replied. "Has she been under a lot of stress?"  
  
"Who _hasn't_ been?" Draco asked dryly.   
  
"Well, maybe once she gets settled in with her classes they'll go away," Madam Pomfrey suggested hopefully. "For now, the best thing to do is let her sleep. You should both run along and have breakfast."  
  
"Can't I stay with her?" Draco asked pleadingly.  
  
"You'd do her more good collecting her assignments and taking notes for her, Mister Malfoy," Madam Pomfrey said gently. "I'll send for you if anything changes."  
  
"Come on Dray...you heard her," Ron urged quietly. "We can't do anything here. Let's go get you some coffee, at least...you look exhausted."  
  
Ginny felt the side of her bed sink and warm, dry lips pressed against her temple. "I've gotta go, luv, but I'll come check on you at lunch. Feel better," Draco whispered quietly before he rose and walked away.  
  
After she heard the two boys footsteps move away, followed by the opening and closing of the door, Madam Pomfrey approached her again. "Erm, Miss Weasley, before I give you this potion, I need to ask if there's any chance you might be pregnant?"   
  
"Ummmmm," Ginny tried desperately to remember if she'd noticed Draco cast a contraception charm either of the two times they'd been together, and then wondered disgustedly why she hadn't done it herself. "Shit."  
  
"Hmmmm," Madam Pomfrey murmured disapprovingly. Ginny heard her set something down on the table beside her bed before murmuring an incantation. She held her breath for what seemed like an eternity, and let it out in a rush when the older witch muttered, "Well, you've been lucky so far, but unless you want to deliver a baby at graduation, you need to be more careful. I'll give you a monthly contraceptive potion before you leave."  
  
"Thank you," Ginny mumbled embarrassedly, accepting the bright blue pain potion the healer handed her. Soon after taking it, her headache finally began to ease, and she drifted off into the most restful sleep she'd experienced in ages.  
  
***  
  
She awoke what felt like hours later. The infirmary was now lit by a few torches, and a faint, rosy glow from the small, temporary windows. Madam Pomfrey was nowhere to be seen, but Draco was asleep on an uncomfortable looking wooden chair beside her bed, hunched over with his head resting on his arms on the edge of her mattress. "Draco?" Ginny nudged him gently, but he didn't respond. Her head still felt light and 'medicine-y,' and she rubbed her eyes vigorously, trying to wake up completely. At least her headache was gone.  
  
She let out an ear-splitting scream when Narcissa Malfoy's face suddenly appeared directly in front of her. The older witch had no body, not even an entire head; her pale, disembodied face, eyes wide, simply hovered in mid air. She appeared to be speaking; her lips were moving frantically, but no sound came from her mouth. Ginny scrambled back toward the flimsy headboard of the bed, falling on the floor beside Draco's chair in her rush to get away from the disturbing apparition. She cowered fearfully as the woman's face swooped toward her, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.   
  
"Ginny?! Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Draco was shaking her frantically, his voice panicked as he knelt on the floor beside her.  
  
Ginny sobbed and flung her arms around his neck. "I saw her! I saw your mother!"  
  
His face drained completely of color, and he stared at her in horror. "You're sure? In a mirror or something?" He asked anxiously, looking around the room.   
  
"No...just...right in front of me!" Ginny gestured to the spot she'd first seen the vision or apparition...whatever it was.  
  
"Did she look like-" Draco stopped and swallowed thickly. Trying again, he reluctantly asked, "Did she look like a ghost?"  
  
"Not really, no, but it was just her _face_ ," Ginny mumbled. "She wasn't transparent, and her skin wasn't silvery like a ghost's. But she was just a face."  
  
"What's going on out here?" Madam Pomfrey demanded, storming out of her office just then, hands on her hips. "And what are you doing on the floor?!"  
  
"I had a nightmare and fell off the bed," Ginny lied quickly. Draco stood up and helped her to her feet. "I'm sorry I screamed."  
  
"Oh," Madam Pomfrey's anger waned rapidly when she looked back and forth between them. Ginny knew if she looked even half as terrified as her boyfriend currently did, it must be blatantly obvious that they hadn't been up to any 'funny business.' "How is your head?"  
  
"Much better now, thank you," Ginny smiled meekly at the older witch.  
  
Madam Pomfrey frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "Well, supper will be over in half an hour, so I'll let you go and grab something while you can. But if you get another headache like that, come see me immediately. There's no reason to try to suffer through it."  
  
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Ginny murmured gratefully.   
  
"Oh, and here's that potion I promised you," Madam Pomfrey muttered, pulling something from her pocket. "Take it before you go to bed tonight. It might make you a little queasy. You can come back in a month for another one, if necessary." She shot a brief, meaningful look at Draco, who fortunately had his back turned. He was evidently still searching the room for signs of Narcissa.  
  
"Thanks." Ginny accepted the vial of pink liquid, blushing furiously. "Good-bye." She slipped it in her pocket, and Madam Pomfrey began stripping the bed as she and Draco started to walk away.   
  
"Oops! Wait!" Madam Pomfrey called when they reached the door. She rushed after them, her hand extended. "You forgot your necklace!"  
  
Ginny exchanged a wary look with Draco, and held out her hand. Somehow she wasn't surprised when the healer dropped a chain with a very familiar little gold hourglass into her palm. She said nothing until Madam Pomfrey walked away. She reluctantly met Draco's horrified eyes, mumbling, "I think we need to talk to Remus again. Maybe try Kingsley again."  
  
"No kidding," Draco muttered flatly, rubbing his forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two more chapters to go. It all falls apart fairly quickly after this. :-/ Though I am toying with eventually posting the original ending, where I tried to make my muse be nice...I think I could make it work as a weird sort of epilogue. lol


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another short one. Writing this story was kind of like pulling teeth towards the end...

"So, let me get this straight..." Remus growled...a deep animalistic rumble that reminded Ginny rather uncomfortably that the man pacing in front of them was not just a man, and the first night of the full moon was the next day. "...Kingsley allowed you to go back in time and save not one, not two, but _five_ people over a twelve hour period? And in the process, a woman just mysteriously disappeared, but you said nothing?!"  
  
Ginny swallowed nervously. She wished Ron was there to help explain, but that morning he'd been the one to wake with a horrific headache, so he was in the infirmary and thus unable to attend the meeting Draco had arranged with Remus the night before. "Basically, yeah," she murmured guiltily.  
  
"We reported Mum missing though!" Draco pointed out.  
  
"You didn't mention to anyone that time travel was involved!" Remus shouted. "Do you have any idea what could have happened when you interfered with time like that?" This was directed at Ginny.  
  
" _Kingsley_ knows time travel was involved, and he thought Narcissa probably just ran off with Snape," she muttered defensively.  
  
Remus rubbed his face with both hands, and when he looked up, his eyes flashed gold for a second. "Well, she clearly did not. Something happened, and the fact that everyone you saved can remember their deaths means that the original timeline is bleeding into the new one that you created,"  
  
"What does that mean?" Hermione asked, her voice shaking. "For us, I mean."  
  
Remus sighed. "I think perhaps the original timeline is trying to reestablish itself. It is overwriting the changes Ginny and Ron made."  
  
Ginny froze, but her heart began to beat so hard she was afraid it would tear through her chest. "No," she said, shaking her head frantically. "That can't happen!"  
  
Draco reached over and gently squeezed her hand, and she clung to his tightly enough to make him wince. "Is there anything we can do to prevent it?" He asked, his voice anxious and tense.  
  
"I'll research it," Remus said. "The fact that the time turner keeps appearing around you and Ginny must mean _something_."  
  
"How long do we have?" Harry finally spoke up. He had his arms wrapped tightly around Hermione, who looked like she was about to cry.  
  
"I really don't know, Harry," Remus admitted reluctantly. "It's impossible to say at this point. Like I said, I'm going to look into it."  
  
"This weekend is the full moon," Draco pointed out. "How much are you really going to be able to do?"  
  
"I can work during the day," Remus replied a bit defensively. "And I doubt anything critical will happen before Monday."  
  
There didn't seem to be much else to say after that, so they went about their day. Ginny noticed that even the normally irrepressible Luna seemed down in the dumps, especially after they visited Ron in the infirmary at lunchtime and discovered that the pain potion that had helped ease Ginny's headache just the day before wasn't putting even a tiny dent in his pain.  
  
Seeing her brother curled up in a ball with his head in his hands, his eyes wet and red-rimmed as he fought to bite back the little pained whimpers that were bubbling up in his chest in spite of his best efforts nearly killed her. It was far worse than having actually experienced the same pain he now felt herself. Knowing she would most likely feel it again soon was terrifying.  
  
Draco, Harry and Hermione stood silently around the bed, their expressions almost identical. They were scared, but trying to hide it.  
  
That evening at supper, she started to feel a familiar dull ache behind her right eye that normally indicated that another headache was coming on. She tried to ignore the pain, but by the time they all arrived back in the common room of the still unnamed new house, she could no longer hide it from Draco. He and Harry were walking her to the infirmary when her nose started to bleed.  
  
Madam Pomfrey took one look at the blood soaked handkerchief Draco had pressed to her nose (obviously, it had been pristine until he had done so) and gestured for Draco, who was carrying her again, to set her down on the bed beside Ron's.  
  
"Another one? You didn't tell me she'd been having nose bleeds as well," the healer said reproachfully.  
  
"This is the first one, right Dray?" Harry murmured uncertainly.  
  
"Yeah," Draco mumbled. It hurt too much to even consider opening her eyes to check, but it sounded like he was crying. "What's wrong with her? What's causing this?"  
  
He'd raised his voice slightly, and Ginny cried out in agony, covering her head with her arms.  
  
"If you can't lower your voice, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Madam Pomfrey scolded, her voice coming out in a soft hiss.  
  
"Can't you give her whatever you gave Ron?" Harry whispered.  
  
There was a long pause. "I...nothing I gave him helped." Madam Pomfrey murmured hesitantly.  
  
"So it just went away?" Harry asked hopefully.  
  
"I'm afraid not," Madam Pomfrey mumbled. "I already owled their parents...I was just about to send for Miss Weasley to tell her...Ronald has slipped into a coma."  
  
Ginny moaned weakly and began to sob. She was vaguely aware of Madam Pomfrey fussing over her and Harry and Draco whispering loudly to each other. The pain in her skull grew more and more intense until she could barely breath through her agony.  
  
"Do something!" she heard Draco's voice, sounding like he was far off in the distance.  
  
" _Quiesco_!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. The pain didn't fade, but everything else suddenly did, and she felt like she was sinking into the mattress beneath her. She kept expecting to come to rest, but instead, she began falling faster and faster, still wracked by unbearable pain.  
  
She wasn't sure how long she had been falling when she became aware of a high pitched squeak in the distance. She tried to look around for the source of the noise, but everything was dark.  
  
She continued to fall. The annoying squeak got closer and louder, and it seemed like she was falling more slowly now.  
  
"Ginny!" Her name came as a faint whisper. She recognized the squeak as someone screaming. They were definitely getting closer. The world around her seemed to be getting slightly brighter as well...everything was now tinged with red.  
  
The screaming was very close now.  
  
"Ginny! Wake up!" The whisper was closer now, too. A bit louder. More urgent. And the screaming was coming from...her? "Ginny!" Someone shook her hard and she stopped falling, her eyes popping open.  
  
"It's about time!" Ron was leaning over her, Luna beside him.  
  
She was back in her room in the dormitory. Wait...she'd never slept in there before...all week she'd slept with... "Where's Draco?" She mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her head, which was throbbing slightly.  
  
"Who?" Luna asked confusedly.  
  
"Draco," Ginny repeated, receiving blank looks from both her brother and his girlfriend. "Draco Malfoy. My boyfriend?"  
  
Ron's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "No wonder you were screaming. That must've been some nightmare you were having, Sis," he chuckled, patting her on the knee through her covers before he stood up and left the room.  
  
"What?" Ginny mumbled confusedly.  
  
"Ginny, you know Draco Malfoy died back in May," Luna murmured, almost reprovingly.  
  
"He...what? No..." Ginny gasped. "No!"  
  
"Gin, are you feeling okay?" Luna asked worriedly. "You mentioned you had a headache last night before you went to bed."  
  
"Right," Ginny nodded. "And Draco and Harry took me to the infirmary. How did I get back here?"  
  
"Ginny, that's not funny!" Luna exclaimed, coming as close to frowning as Ginny had ever seen her. The throbbing in her head began to develop into another full blown headache.  
  
"I agree, this isn't funny," Ginny scowled, quickly growing tired of Luna's inappropriate humor. "Where is Draco?!"  
  
Luna frowned. "You really don't remember? Ginny, he's dead. He and his father were killed by Death Eaters during the last battle, remember?"  
  
Ginny felt like someone had dunked her in a tub full of ice. "And...Harry?" She asked reluctantly.  
  
Luna nodded, her eyes welling with tears. "Hermione, too."  
  
Ginny choked back a sob, but managed to whisper, "Fred?"  
  
"I'm so sorry, Ginny." Luna murmured sadly.  
  
The screaming had started again, and everything slowly went back to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost over. Just one more chapter left, unless I cave and try to use my original sappy, ridiculous ending. But I don't want to do that, because then no one learns their lesson about messing with time; so it's almost over. :-p


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The end. More literally than with most of my stories. ;-) I hope I cleared up all of the loose ends, but I may have missed something. I've been staring at this thing for so long, it's hard to tell anymore. lol

Ginny slowly blinked her eyes. Bright sunlight was streaming in through the small windows in the temporary wooden wall of the infirmary. She looked to her right, and saw Ron lying on the bed beside her, sound asleep. "Oh thank Merlin...it was just a dream."

 

"Yes," Luna murmured from a chair to Ginny's left. "Just a dream."

 

Ginny smiled tiredly at her friend as she dragged herself to a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. "Where's Draco?" she asked groggily.

 

Luna blinked in surprise, then frowned slightly. "You're not still stuck on that, are you? I wondered why you had so many wrackspurts around you..."

 

Ginny's heart sank. "He's still dead?" She groaned frustratedly.

 

"That's not something one tends to get over. Unless he had a horcrux like Voldemort," Luna murmured thoughtfully. "Do you think he did?" she asked curiously. "Harry always said he was evil."

 

"What? No!" Ginny exclaimed disgustedly. "Draco wasn't evil!"

 

"Right. I'm sure he was just a big, blond, misunderstood teddy bear," Ron snorted from her right. She turned, and found him sitting on the side of his bed. She noticed for the first time that he was fully clothed, and had been lying on top of the covers...so he wasn’t there as a patient after all.

 

"Why am I in the infirmary?" Ginny asked, mostly just to change the subject.

 

"Well, you passed out after babbling about a dead Death Eater being your boyfriend. We thought maybe we should have you checked out," Ron muttered sarcastically.

 

"You really don't remember saving them, do you?" Ginny whispered sadly. Time was rewriting itself, just like Lupin had feared, but she'd thought for sure Ron would remember what they’d done, if no one else. But then, he hadn't been the one wearing the time turner while they'd changed everything. It must've made her own memories more permanent somehow.

 

"Saving who?" Ron asked soberly.

 

"Harry? Hermione? Fred?" Ginny asked, realizing that talking about Draco wasn't helping them take her seriously.

 

"Gin, they're gone." Ron sighed exasperatedly. "You know that. You were at their funerals!"

 

Ginny bit her lip. "This isn't right! This isn't how it was supposed to go! We fixed everything!" Suddenly a thought occurred to her. "Remus...I need to talk to Remus! He'll know what to do!"

 

Ron just stared at her, his eyes sad; her heart sank.

 

"He's gone too? What the hell? We didn't even save him!" Ginny yelled.

 

Ron glanced nervously toward Madam Pomfrey's office. "Maybe you should calm down, Ginny. If you keep talking like this..."

 

"What? Are you gonna send me to St Mungo's?" Ginny asked scornfully. "I'm not crazy, Ron! We saved them! The two of us, together! We saved them!"

 

"Ginny..." Luna interjected quietly.

 

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it! You weren't there!" Ginny yelled. "We saved them! We saved him, and I don't care what you think, I love him...and he loves me!"

 

"Malfoy?" Ron scoffed, not quite managing to suppress a roll of his eyes.

 

"Yes!" Ginny screamed, realizing she sounded quite hysterical at this point. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, but she didn't care.

 

"What's going on out here?" Madam Pomfrey's stern, familiar voice rang through the air.

 

"Nothing!" Ron answered too quickly, sounding ridiculously guilty. He hissed, "Shut up, Ginny!" under his breath as the healer approached.

 

Ignoring his warning, Ginny growled, "You shut up! You're lying. You have to remember. You were there!" She was openly weeping now.

 

"Miss Weasley, if you don't calm down, I'll be forced to sedate you..."

 

"Try it!" Ginny growled. "I'd like to see you try."

 

"Gin..." Ron shook his head disapprovingly.

 

"Incarcerous!" Madam Pomfrey murmured. Thick ropes immediately sprang up, wrapping around both Ginny and the bed, pinning her arms at her sides. "If she doesn't snap out of this soon, I'll be forced to contact St Mungo's," the healer grunted somewhat defensively to Ron.

 

"I'm not crazy!" Ginny shrieked, struggling madly against the ropes. "We saved them! We did! Time is just all messed up now! Remus said so...he said the original timeline was trying to reestablish itself..." Ginny sobbed as it finally really struck her that Draco and the others might really be gone for good. "Gods...no...we have to do something! We can't just let them die. I love him! I love him..." she moaned, breaking into hopeless sobs.

 

"I'm going to get her a calming draught," she heard Madam Pomfrey whisper loudly as Ron moved to embrace her.

 

"Thanks," Ron whispered, awkwardly rubbing Ginny's shoulder, his actions hindered slightly by the ropes around her.

 

Ginny tried in vain to move away from him, and felt her hand brush against something cold and metallic nestled among the blankets. It felt like a thin chain, and her heart leapt. The time turner! She slowly gathered the chain in her fist, hiding a sly smile when she felt the tiny hourglass pendant.

 

When Madam Pomfrey returned with a small vial, she meekly swallowed the lavender scented potion inside. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I'm just so confused," she murmured, batting her eyelashes innocently.

 

"Well, maybe things will seem clearer if you get some rest..." Madam Pomfrey suggested gently.

 

Ginny let out an exaggerated yawn. "Yes, I'm sure that would help..."

 

"Alright," Madam Pomfrey murmured. Turning to Ron and Luna, she said, "Why don't you two run along and get some lunch. I'll let you know if you're needed."

 

Ron looked like he might argue, but Luna pulled on his arm. "Come on, Ron. Let Ginny get some sleep..."

 

Ron gazed intently at Ginny, and she let out another exaggerated yawn. "Alright," he agreed reluctantly. "We'll be back later." He kissed Ginny on the forehead, then let Luna lead him out of the infirmary.

 

"Are you going to give me any more trouble?" Madam Pomfrey asked sternly after they were gone.

 

"No," Ginny shook her head vehemently.

 

"Alright..." the healer frowned thoughtfully then muttered, "Finite!" The ropes vanished, and Ginny had to struggle to suppress a triumphant smirk. "Try to get some rest now. I'll check on you later..."

 

Ginny nodded and snuggled down under her covers. "Okay, Madam Pomfrey," she murmured sweetly, laughing on the inside.

 

Madam Pomfrey returned to her office, closing the door behind her, and Ginny immediately leapt into action. Climbing off the bed, she searched around for her wand and finally found it in the drawer of the nightstand beside her. First, she cast 'muffliato' on Madam Pomfrey's office door. Then, she frowned down at her fuzzy blue pajamas. Concentrating intently, she managed to transfigure them into black jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt. Her wool socks became thin, rather lumpy black ballet flats. They didn't look quite right...she could sort of see through them in a few places, but they'd have to do.

 

Since Harry was gone, she didn't hold out much hope for his invisibility cloak being at Hogwarts, but when she muttered, "Accio invisibility cloak!" it flew into the room through the space underneath the doors a few seconds later.

 

Draping the cloak over herself, she placed the time turner's chain around her neck, and twirled it until it wouldn't turn any more. When everything stopped spinning around her, the infirmary was dark. Even the light in Madam Pomfrey's office was unlit. Casting another 'muffliato' on the door, she tried turning the time turner again. Nothing happened. Throwing it aside, she yelled 'accio other time turner!' Sure enough, the time turner came flying to her from wherever it had been in this horrible timeline twelve hours before it found its way into her bed in the infirmary.

 

When she placed this one around her neck, Narcissa's face suddenly appeared in front of her, frantically shaking her head. This time, Ginny could almost hear the other woman's shouted, "No!"

 

Ignoring her, she turned the tiny hourglass twelve times, praying that Draco had been wrong back in May; that it was possible to go back further than twelve hours if she just used the time turner that actually belonged to the time she was currently in.

 

It worked. She narrowly avoided a collision with Madam Pomfrey when the now sunlit room stopped spinning. Jumping out of her path into the space between two beds, she waited for the healer to return to her office then pulled off the time turner and repeated the process of summoning the current timeline's turner. She got tired of adjusting the cloak each time, and finally just slung it over one shoulder, deciding that if she had any trouble with Pomfrey, she'd just stun her. With any luck she'd erase this timeline anyway.

 

"No! Stop!" Narcissa's faint voice gave her pause just before she traveled back another twelve hours. Ginny caught a glimpse of the woman's pale face out of her peripheral vision as she turned the hourglass. Narcissa had a head and shoulders now, apparently.

 

"You need to stop this!" Narcissa's hovering head and torso met her when she arrived in the darkened room about 36 hours before she'd originally left.

 

"I have to save Draco!" Ginny growled, yanking off the time turner and summoning the current version.

 

"You're going to destroy everything!" Narcissa exclaimed, making a motion that probably would have translated to a stomped foot...if she'd had any feet to stomp.

 

"I'll take my chances!" Ginny muttered, giving the time turner a twirl.

 

The next time she stopped, Narcissa was almost completely solid, lacking only her feet. "Do you know why you can see me more clearly the further back you go?"

 

"I don't know...because you're a ghost, and I'm getting closer to when you were alive?" Ginny guessed half-heartedly.

 

"No," Narcissa shook her head frantically. "I created a paradox when I used the time turner to go back within its own timeline to save Miss Granger. I've been stuck in a sort of gap between the original timeline that I went back to fix, and the new one I created by saving the Lupins and your friend. I've been trying to contact you ever since...I can't manipulate much from here, but I can move the time turner...I hoped you'd get the hint when I kept bringing it to you," she finished, frowning a bit reproachfully.

 

"That was you?!" Ginny gasped. "And you saved the Lupins?"

 

"I went back a little further than I meant to." Narcissa shrugged guiltily. "I had some time on my hands, and Nymphadora was my niece. I didn't realize I was stuck here, between times, until I caught up to the point I had travelled back from. I've been able to see all of you...since you came back to the castle, anyway. But you couldn't see or hear me."

 

Ginny frowned slightly. "So...why can I see you now?"

 

"Every time you go back further, you’re creating another copy of the time turner, and enlarging the paradox. It's pulling you further and further into the gap!" Narcissa exclaimed urgently.

 

"So?" Ginny asked impatiently. "All I care about is saving Draco!"

 

"While I do admire your persistence, at the rate you're going, you won't be able to save him. Even if you somehow get back to the day of the battle, there won't be anything left." Narcissa moved closer and reached for Ginny's hand, but her own hand passed right through it. "Stop this! You're going to destroy everything! Draco wouldn't want that."

 

Ginny frowned determinedly and turned the hourglass again.

 

During her next few stops, she stubbornly ignored Narcissa when she appeared, simply removing the time turner from her neck and summoning the current one before going back another twelve hours. She'd gone back about a week or so when it happened; when she carelessly tossed the 'old' time turner aside after summoning the current one, there was a loud cracking sound accompanied by a blinding flash of light.

 

The blast stunned her momentarily, and when her vision finally cleared, a sickly grayish yellow light was casting strange shadows over the room. The walls of the infirmary had been blasted away. Dust and splinters of wood were hovering in midair around the outside wall. The wall between the main room of the infirmary and Madam Pomfrey's office was completely decimated. Ginny could barely see the healer through the bits of stone floating in the resulting gap. The older witch's face was covered in blood, and she was frozen halfway in the process of falling to the floor. Her eyes were wide and unfocused.

 

Ginny gasped, and tried to rush to the older woman's side, but it felt like she was wading through maple syrup. As she slowly made her way across the room, Narcissa appeared again. “It’s no use. It’s over. You’ve ruined everything!” the older witch wailed.

 

“I can still fix this...” Ginny muttered, trying to push past her, but Narcissa stepped sideways and blocked her path again.

 

“Miss Weasley...it’s over. Look around you!” She raised her arms to both sides, and gestured at the chaos surrounding them. Grasping Ginny’s upper arms, she said, “It is done. Finished. I appreciate your dedication to my son, I really do, but he wouldn’t have wanted this!”

 

Ginny felt like all of the oxygen had suddenly been sucked from her lungs. Looking around at the rapidly darkening sky, she whispered, “What do I do? I don’t know what to do!”

 

“Destroy the time turner. It is the only thing you can do,” Narcissa murmured, patting her awkwardly on the shoulder.

 

“Will that help?” Ginny asked, scanning the area for the tiny device. “Will it stop this?”

 

“I don’t know, honestly,” Narcissa confessed. “I never dared to try it myself. Things weren’t quite bad enough to take the risk...Draco was alive, things were going fairly well, except for my being trapped...” her words were becoming more and more distorted by the second, as if time was grinding to a halt. “Do it now! We have nothing more to lose!” she exclaimed, gesturing helplessly at their surroundings.

 

“I guess you’re right,” Ginny muttered, finally spotting a glint of gold chain sticking out from behind a large chunk of stone. She started trying to head toward it, but movement was becoming more difficult. “Accio time turner!” she exclaimed, waving her wand at it.

 

Nothing happened at first, and she wondered if magic was no longer working, or if she hadn’t performed the wand motions correctly because of the time distortion. After what felt like hours, but might have been only a minute, the time turner finally rose sluggishly into the air and began moving toward her. She glanced at Narcissa, who gestured encouragingly, though her face was filled with dread.

 

Taking a deep breath, Ginny slashed her wand toward the slowly approaching Time-Turner. “Reducto!” she shouted, the single word coming out thickly, almost heavy on her tongue.

  
Again, nothing happened for what seemed like the longest time, but eventually, the spell poured out of the end of her wand like liquid. It seemed to trickle lazily across the room, splitting and forking like a crack in the air. Just before it hit the time turner, Ginny turned toward Narcissa. The effort the simple movement required left her feeling weak and shaky. Or maybe that was just her overwhelming fear. “What do you think will hap-”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that's it. I figured I'd let you decide for yourself what happens next. As far as I'm concerned, it's NOT good. If you wanted a happy ending, you should have stopped at the end of Broken. Don't say I didn't warn you. ;-)

**Author's Note:**

> Sadly, I don't own the Harry Potter universe or any of the characters therein, and I'm not making any money from writing this story.


End file.
